ARRI Look Library

From Software Update Package (SUP) 5.0 for ALEXA Mini and AMIRA cameras, ARRI is introducing an exciting new way to implement high-quality looks. The ARRI Look Library puts on-set look management within the reach of all productions, not just those with the time and budget to develop bespoke looks prior to shooting.

Offering 87 looks in three intensities, the ARRI Look Library caters to a huge variety of different shooting scenarios. The looks are numbered within nine themed groups: application, black-and-white, contrast, environment, film, period, season, special, and tinted. In a sense, the looks can be thought of as being similar to different film stocks, each providing a unique but repeatable aesthetic when combined with the cinematographer’s choice of lenses.

All ALEXA Mini and AMIRA Premium cameras shipped from May 1, 2017, will be priced to reflect the built-in Look Library, while cameras shipped before that date can acquire the feature as an upgrade once SUP 5.0 has been installed. ALEXA SXT cameras will also be able to utilize the Look Library with the release of SXT SUP 3.0.

By establishing a standardized repertoire of looks, the library makes it easier for cinematographers to work with looks on any production. Often there is no budget for extensive look development during preproduction, or not enough time in the final grade to create and work with numerous different looks. In situations like these, the ARRI Look Library will allow filmmakers to make creative look choices on set, giving all departments the opportunity to become familiar with the final intended looks and to work within them.

A defined vocabulary of looks, consistent across all ARRI cameras equipped with the Look Library, will reduce complexity for cinematographers while giving them a varied palette with which to experiment. Creative collaborations will be made easier – whether over large distances or between different units on the same production – and time savings facilitated in postproduction, since scene-specific or even shot-specific looks can be implemented long before the final grade.

The 87 looks have been developed by ARRI Media, ARRI’s postproduction and creative services business, based in Germany. Additional looks inspired by customer feedback are likely to be added to the library in the future, and users have the option to tweak looks using iPad-based tools such as Pomfort LiveGrade Air, thanks to the Camera Access Protocol feature of ALEXA SXT and – from SUP 5.0 – AMIRA and ALEXA Mini. Individual looks can be commissioned from ARRI Media for specific color spaces such as P3 or special requirements such as HDR.

ARRI Media has also created an accompanying free iPhone app that provides an overview of the library, giving users an easy way to explore possible looks whether they are on set, scouting locations, meeting with other heads of department, or sitting at home.